I have been so lucky to be in town for the duration of the three-day festival here in the Old City. Having no idea about this until recently, I find myself present for the spectacular Chiang Mai Flower Festival! 2024 marks the 47th year since its conception and wow have the organizers ever done an amazing job.
Nong Buak Haad Public Park
The Flower Festival is a three-day event, that takes place every year on the first full weekend in February. Today I visited Nong Buak Haad park, the largest park in the old city, and the culmination of all thing’s festival!
There is even a flower parade with huge floats covered in blossoms! Can you imagine? I will be attending that for sure, but for now, I focus on the gorgeous park that I had the pleasure of roaming through all morning long.
Orchids
My first stop once inside the park gates, was the orchid area. My goodness, I have never seen so many stunning flowers so close together. The colours, shades and sizes of these blooms are magnificent.
A fine mist constantly rains down on the flowers and heads of the visitors and gives the area a lush tropical rain forest vibe. If you would like to see my video footage, please pop over to my Instagram posts showcasing this sensational exhibition.
Fountains
The park boasts several fountains all year round, but this weekend, they are lined with so many gorgeous flowers and the brightest of colours. The large sprays of water soaring into the sky are magical to see glistening in the sunlight.
Several bridges cross the large ponds and one can walk through trails of flowers from one pond to the next. I love the addition of water features to any garden, and these fountains make this public space shine.
Tulips
Towards one end of the park is a tulip field! In the process of being doused with water when I was there, the blooms are so pretty with their petals wet with drops.
Roses
A rose garden of sorts has been prepared in quite a different way than I have ever seen. Usually one travels through the roses, each labelled for their variety and uniqueness. Here in the Chiang Mai flower festival, the roses are all in full bloom, and carpet an entire area. None are labelled as individual plants, but all form a beautiful display of soft sweet colour.
Statuary
One unique feature of this garden festival is all of the cute statuary placed within some of the flower beds. These are huge pieces and are creating quite a sensation with people posing for pictures next to these figures.
I must say the park has been expertly arranged and the flowers display perfectly. I could see the organizers huddled in a room, deep in conversation, and I hope they were congratulating themselves on a job well done. This is a special festival indeed, and one not to be missed in Chiang Mai.
